have we turned a corner with regards to the situation in syria? caller: it seems to me it is an important juncture, perhaps a crossroads. turning a corner might be going a bit far. president assad still has substantial military capabilities, quite a bit of support. he still has control of the capital. it is a little bit hard to say. clearly the risk and an upswing on the rebel side. -- there has been an upswing on the rebel side. i think there is momentum in favor of the rebels, but this still seems to be a conflict that can go on for a long time. host: if the regime fails, it president assad is forced out, who takes his place? caller: i think that is a major concern on all fronts. there is a great fear there could be anarchy and chaos. people in syria are well aware of what happened in neighboring iraq. there is a large number of people who are not necessarily tied to the government but are extremely frightened that there could be a bloodletting that was seen in neighboring iraq. host: your in beirut. you are obviously not allowed to travel easil